JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN TO GIVE US PEACE, JOY, LOVE AND BLESSINGS WITH FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND SALVATION

President wishes Merry Xmas

Agencies, KalimNews, Dec 24: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar greeted the nation on Christmas eve Friday, saying that the festive occasion should make people more compassionate towards those who are not getting the benefits of the “spectacular growth” of India.

Extending her greetings to the nation, Meira Kumar said: “It is an opportunity to celebrate the noble message of Jesus Christ to propagate the eternal virtues of tolerance, harmony and brotherhood.”

She said the festival, besides being a time to “rejoice in the company of family and friends, the spirit of this beautiful festival also allows us to nurture feelings of compassion and charity towards those who stand on the periphery of our spectacular growth”.

She also prayed that the festival would “inspire us to get rid of the vicious circle of ignorance and violence around us, and fill the lives of all our brothers and sisters with peace and prosperity”.TiTbiTs From SHEEMGNLF holds indoor meetingg in Bijanbari against Set-up and in fovor of VI schedule.
GJYM carried out bike rally from Djg to Sukna via Kurseong.
Frequent power cut paralyses normal lives in Kalimpong.

(Compiled and Published by J.N. Manokaran (jnmanokaran@yahoo.com) on behalf of Glocal Resources Development Associates)

I India

1. It happens only in India: Call it the paragon of paradoxes or the land of incredible ironies; in India some things never change. In India, a kg of rice is sold for Rs. 40 but a SIM card comes for free. In this country people made arduous journey of pilgrimage to goddesses (to have male child) but child their daughters in their wombs. As a general practice women are derided, denied and deprived. It is mindset that prefers fancy mobile phone in preference to a basic toilet. The pizza delivery boy beats the lumbering ambulance in a 30 minutes dash. The first hour – golden hour is lost – as the ambulance reaches – indeed precious lives are lost. A molesting cop gets a police medal, his victim ostracized by the society. It is easy to get loans to buy a car than for education. 237.7 million suffer chronic hunger. 37 percent live below poverty line. 47.5 metric tones of grain is held as buffer stock while only 20 metric tones are sufficient. India is not able to distribute grains free to the poor. 148 Mercedes cars were ordered by Aurangabad rich as a group order. While bad road and absence of roads is truth, yet there is rush for buying cars. There are 5.5 crore vehicles in India and 25 lakhs are added daily. In the last 50 years the number of vehicles have increased 70 times while roads have increased only nine times. Double Income No Kids (DINKs) is an urban phenomenon. Sex is everywhere except where it is supposed to be – bedroom. One in four couples experience sexual dysfunction. Spouses use each other as sleeping pills. India designed battle tanks before it could design simple four wheel car for a family. The country’s priority was to be able to reach its hostile borders, long before it could zip down its own streets. The image of Gandhi adorns Indian currency. He symbolizes simple life style, honesty etc. However, the same currency is used as bribe, black money, ransom and is counterfeited – what an irony? German luxury pen maker Mont Blanc was stopped from making 14 lakh a piece pen to commensurate Gandhi, as Indians saw that as sacrilege. Indians need permit to visit Arunachala Pradesh, while the Chinese allow Arunachalis to enter China without visa as China claims Arunachal Pradesh as their territory. An individual who does not repay a loan is hounded by recovery agents, defaulting firms are treated with kid gloves. Their loans could be ‘re-structured, re-negotiated and re-adjusted.’ ‘It is a country where the Goliaths are treated with kid gloves, the Davids have to fend for themselves.’ One in every five Indian is overweight, obese. 46 percent of Indians are malnourished. Only 34 percent of Indians are nutritionally balanced. 79 per cent of Indian children are anaemic, 2 million die before the age of five. Obesity is an Urban phenomenon while malnutrition is rural and tribal phenomenon. In Railway stations we need coolies to carry our luggage as the ramps are missing. In airports there are trollies and smooth passage of our baggage. There 564 million mobile users (number is growing) while only 366 million only have access to toilets. Among the 366 million a large chunk depend on long line-up, dismal community facility. The Government should fulfill the basic need to reduce general medical expenses and bring girls to schools. (Rekha Dixit, The Week 26 December 2010, p. 12-46)

2. Gay pride parade draws thousands: Thousands of people danced, sang and cheered through the streets of Delhi on 28 November in a colourful and vibrant celebration for the first gay pride parade since gay sex was made legal in India. Under a huge rainbow flag, to the sound of drums, whistles and horns, 2,000 gay activists and supporters clad in feather face masks shouted slogans and waved placards as they marched through the capital of this still sexually conservative country. The parade brought traffic to a halt in the commercial heart of the city, leaving bemused drivers watching in astonishment as kissing male couples, dancing transsexuals in bright pink skirts and thousands of rainbow flags went past. While the previous two annual marches were billed as protests against legislation that criminalised homosexual sex in the world's largest democracy, in July last year a landmark case in the Delhi High Court finally overturned the colonial-era Section 377 of India's penal code after nine years of legal action. This year it is all about celebration. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Gay-pride-parade-draws-thousands/articleshow/7005622.cms accessed on 28 November 2010)

3. 63% women face sexual harassment in PMPML buses: survey: After a recent survey had revealed that 63 per cent of women passengers in PMPML buses have complained of sexual harassment. Implementing rules that clearly reserve seats for women passengers will go a long way in averting sexual harassment and other inconveniences women are put to face. The survey that was carried out at various bus stops in Pune. Fifty seven per cent of the women interviewed were in the 16-30 age group and 25 per cent were 31-50 age group, highlighting the fact that a considerable number of Pune's productive population is dependent on public transport. However, as many as 63 per cent of all these women said they had been at the receiving end of sexual harassment of various degrees -- touching, pinching, lewd remarks, etc. The study pointed out that while 92 per cent of women passengers were aware that a certain number of seats were reserved for them, as many as 44 per cent faced opposition from men when they asserted this right. Similarly, 53 per cent of the respondents said they felt unsafe at bus stops, considering that men hang around their vicinity, the bus stops have no name, and often no roof. The ticket checkers did not take cognizance of men sitting on seats reserved for women. The women were unable to read the helpline numbers on the buses because there were covered by ads and posters. At times when a conductor intervened and took a stand for a woman passenger, the public failed to support him. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/63-women-face-sexual-harassment-in-PMPML-buses-survey/articleshow/7002468.cms accessed on 29 November 2010)

4. The Algebra of India: Punjab has the highest proportion of gross cropped area irrigated. Its gross cropped area is 78.7 lakh hectares of which the net irrigated area is 41.12 lkah hectares. Assam has the lowest with 38.39 lakh hectares of gross cropped area of which the net irrigated area is 76000 hectares. 40% of households in Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Bihar and Assam have very low access to electricity. Tamil Nadu has the largest number of factories. Moreover it is among the top three states in gross capital formation after Maharashtra and Gujarat. 30% of people in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Uttarkhand and Aman and Nagar Haveli- live below poverty line. 80% of households in Chandigarh, Delhi and Punjab own a TV set, in Bihar and Jharkhand, less than 20% of the households own TV sets. 75% of children above the age of 10 have completed primary education in: Chandigarh, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Kerala, Mizoram and Nagaland. 4564 murder cases were re3corded in Uttar Pradesh, the highest among all States in 2008, but it also has the worst policemen to population ration -56 policemen per 100000 people. Delhi has 173 telephones per 100 people compared to Assam’s 30 phones per 100 people. 1.39 crore is the number of domestic LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) consumers in Maharashtra, the higest in India. Punjab has the highest proportion of domestic LPG consumers to total households 91 per 100 homes. Infant Mortality Rates vary across states. While Madhya Pradesh recorded an IMR of 70 per 1000 live births, in Kerala the number is only 12 per 1000. Uttar Pradesh, with a high IMR of 67 per 1000 live births, also has the lowest proportion of births assisted by trained personnel (25 per cent). (India Today 29 November 2010, p. 56-57)

5. Doing Business in India: India is ranked at 134 for doing business. The other nations that are ahead are: 1. Singapore; 4 UK; 5 US; 18 Japan; 78 China; and 83 Pakistan. It takes 29 days to register business in India while it takes just one day in New Zealand and 4 minutes in Brazil. It takes 195 days to get permission for construction in India; while it takes 25 days in Singapore. India is also a difficult place to enforce contracts. (Business Today 12 December 2010, p. 30-31)

6. Pester Power: India’s 400 million children below the age of 15 are becoming most conspicuous consumers. Kids are becoming connoisseurs and specialists that their parents lean on. They lap up toys, gadgets, phones, clothes and also counsel parents on the big-ticket purchases. Market experts estimate that the kids influence an astounding $100 billion (Rs. 450000 crore). Children freely express themselves by questioning their parents; demonstrate superior knowledge on many fronts; and talk to parents as equals. According to survey, 29 % parents of 4-6 year old say that kids pester for specific brands and 31% demand as seen in television advertisements. According to another survey while all 600 children watched television, only one-fourth of them played outside daily. In Internet: 60% played multi-player games; 39% search information; 37% play single player game; 29% downloading music and listening; 23% for homework; 19% for chatting; 16% for watching videos; 15% E-mails; 14% general surfing; 14% visit social networking sites and 10% instant messages. Social networking sites also have moms groups that share information about gadgets they buy for their children. Must have gadgets for boys: 29% laptops; 24% mobile phones; 5% TV set; 4% IPod; 14% games system; 11% pocket money and 11% books. Must have gadgets for girls: 26% Mobile phones: 24% laptops; 6% TV set; 4% iPod; 15% books; 13% pocket money and 12% games system. (E. Kumar Sharma, Business Today 12 October 2010, p. 68-74) Beyond the Piggy Bank: New York Life Insurance survey in 2008 in India estimates: Over 119 million parents in the 25-44 age group are looking for financial planning to secure their kids’ future. Over 85 percent of households in India have children in the age group 0-15 years. 65 percent of parents spend more than half their take home salary on meeting their kids education expenses. (Manu Kaushik, Business Today 12 October 2010, p. 92.)

7. Honour killing bogey as young TN women die: Domestic violence has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 young women across the state of Tamil Nadu in the last two years. A sizeable number of victims were dalits in rural areas. Though suicide is the reason behind a large number of ‘unnatural deaths’ of young women below the age of 25, dowry harassment, murders and ‘suspicious’ deaths are other reasons as are ‘accidents’. A set of RTI queries has revealed that backward districts Vellore and Villupuram, which have a sizeable dalit population, are first and second in the list of maximum deaths of young women. Vellore district accounts for 378 deaths of young women, out of a total of 3,222 across the state between January 2008 and June 2010. Villupuram and Tirunelveli come second and third with 242 and 219 deaths. “A total of seven honour killings have been reported in the state in the past three years but most such incidents go unnoticed or unrecorded. Caste and family honour could be the reason behind some of the cases of suicide, suspicious deaths and even accidents,” fears A. Kathir, executive director of Evidence. Of the total 3,222 deaths, a maximum of 2,182 were suicide cases of which 500 women were from the dalit community. Dowry deaths account for 6 per cent (197 cases) of the total unnatural deaths reported during the period. In this too, Vellore district topped the chart with 25 cases. A total of 179 cases have been reported as suspicious deaths and murders out of 3,222. “A majority of the victims were from rural backgrounds. Women of socially and economically backward districts such as Vellore, Villupuram, Kanchipuram and Tiruvallur in northern TN and Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi in the south were identified to be more vulnerable,” Mr Kathir said. Reacting to the issue, renowned rights activist and HC lawyer Sudha Ramalingam said lack of anonymity and financial independence besides absence of intervention programmes like counselling make rural women more vulnerable. (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/honour-killing-bogey-young-tn-women-die-039 accessed on 1 December 2010)

8. Philippines beats India as call centre capital: The Philippines has become the call centre capital of the world, overtaking India as the number one player in the global business outsourcing market, according to industry data and the government. President Benigno Aquino has led celebrations in recent weeks as it has become increasingly clear that the Southeast Asian nation has become the world's dominant player in the outsourced back-office operations industry. At an opening of an IBM outsourcing centre in Manila last week, Aquino forecast that the industry's revenues would hit 12-13 billion dollars next year, rising to 100 billion dollars by 2020 for a fifth of global market share. A report from IBM released in October said the Philippines had this year passed India as the global leader in business process outsourcing in terms of the number of people each country employed in the sector. "For business support functions... The Philippines has taken over the lead in the global ranking from India, after having challenged the top position for several years," the report said. The head of the government's information technology commission, Ivan Uy, said the Philippines had definitely bypassed India in call centre revenues with 5.5 billion dollars last year compared with India's 5.3 billion dollars. The president of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines, Benedict Hernandez, also said the Philippines had more than half a million people working in call centres and related services compared with 330,000 in India. Uy said even Indian companies were setting up call centres in the Philippines to take advantage of the Filipinos' cultural links to the West. Tata Consultancy Services, one of the Indian giants in the industry, has launched a business process outsourcing operation in Manila, its first in Southeast Asia. Nearly nine million Filipinos - about one tenth of the population - work overseas. They sent home last year 17.3 billion dollars, more than 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product. (http://expressbuzz.com/finance/business/philippines-beats-india-as-call-centre-capital/229175.html accessed on 7 December 2010)

9. 90,000 Bihar kids die in first month of birth: "Every year in Bihar, about 90,000 children die within the first month of life, that is, about 250 neonates dying every day. Most of these deaths can be prevented," said the State Principal Health Secretary C.K. Mishra said at the annual national neonatal forum convention and national workshop on newborn health. Most of the causes of neonatal deaths can be prevented and managed by a set of interventions at household, community and health facility levels, he said. According to him, the Comprehensive Newborn Care Initiative (CNCI) developed by the Bihar government with technical support from Unicef and the National Neonatology Forum will be scaled up in all 38 districts across the state over the next three years. "CNCI will provide for newborn care at every level and has the potential to save up to 6,000 newborn lives every single year," Mishra said. UNICEF health experts lauded the government for achieving great success in improving immunisation and institutional deliveries, but urged the state to focus on the neonatal period for further reduction in the infant mortality rate. In Bihar, 2010 is being celeberated as the Year of the Newborn. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/90000-Bihar-kids-die-in-first-month-of-birth/articleshow/7047538.cms accessed on 5 December 2010)

10. Robberies, chain snatching incidents on the rise in Bangalore: While the total number of crimes committed in Bangalore City stood at 11,972 in 2007, it rose to 17,648 in 2009. The figure stood at 6,648 in the first five months of 2010. Since 40% of this global city's working population have night shifts, they are vulnerable to attacks. The growing influx of migrants from other states -- some of them criminals -- and the poor strength of the constabulary to monitor them make the city's night life scary. Leader of an autorickshaw union, Meenakshi Sundaram, attempts to analyse the crime trend. "Bangalore has two areas -- the Central Business Areas and the residential ones. Incidents of chain snatching and robbery are common in residential areas. The government is lagging behind in taking preventive measures. When jobs and minimum wages are denied, some people desperately turn to crime to survive," says Sundaram.

A city is as strong or as weak as its police force, he adds. According to him, the key to preventing crime and making the city safer lies in a strong beat policing and well-equipped police stations. He is not in favour of fancy short cuts such as Janata Police, citizen policing, social network etc. Early this year, residents of many areas had formed their own security system. One such system runs well in Babusapalya. Armed with torches and sticks, a nine-member band led by Rajesh Pillai begins patrolling the streets at 11pm. These corporate employees are part of a neighbourhood watch, formed to thwart growing crime in the city's suburbs. (http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/robberies-chain-snatching-incidents-on-the-rise-in-bangalore-70806http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/robberies-chain-snatching-incidents-on-the-rise-in-bangalore-70806 accessed on 6 Dec 2010. )

11. 27 unauthorised buildings sealed, 6,500 more to go: At least 27 buildings have been sealed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) in the Chennai metropolitan area during the last three years for development violations. 6,438 new buildings that have cropped up during the same period have violated development control rules. A report submitted at a meeting of a HC-appointed monitoring committee at the CMDA office said 9,816 residential buildings, 698 commercial buildings, 20 institutional ones and 66 industries had been inspected by the CMDA, Chennai corporation and various other bodies. Violations range from unauthorised additional floors, lack of setback and irregularities concerning usage, floor space index and parking norms. Incidentally, barring the CMDA, none of the local bodies has shown interest in taking any action. Most of the unauthorised buildings are in areas such as George Town, T Nagar, Mylapore, Tiruvanmiyur where old settlements are giving way to new multi-storied buildings. Large-scale violations have also been found in areas like Saidapet, Chetpet and southern suburbs such as Kottivakkam and residential colonies in Alandur municipality where the real estate industry is booming unlike never before. "These 10,600 buildings are only the tip of an iceberg. There must be more than a lakh such illegal buildings, which are still unidentified," government sources told TOI. A study by the Chennai Corporation and CMDA in 2007 — following directions from the monitoring committee — in Usman Road (from Usman Road to Prakasam Salai) and Ranganathan Street revealed that 64 buildings (28 special buildings (beyond three floors) and 35 multi-storeyed buildings) have blatantly violated rules on floor space index, plot coverage, car parking and front set-back. A multi-storyed building, bearing door no. 43 in Ranganathan Street ought to have provided 90 slots for four wheelers as per development control rules. But the builder has not set aside space to park even a single car.

The floor space index (FSI) of several of these identified buildings have gone beyond 5, even as the rules permit only 2.5. FSI is the ratio between the built-up area allowed and plot area available. The Supreme Court in its 2006 ruling observed that Chennai was unlivable due to flourishing unauthorised buildings. (Julie Mariappan, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/27-unauthorised-buildings-sealed-6500-more-to-go/articleshow/7074458.cms accessed on 10 December 2010)

12. Malnutrition in Mumbai: 16 child deaths in 1 slum: At least 16 children under 6 years of age died of malnutrition related illnesses from April this year in just one locality of the city - Shivaji Nagar in Govandi, northeast Mumbai, said Dnyaneshwar Tarwade, assistant director at Apnalaya, a non-profit group that works in this slum, located just a half-hour drive from the glitzy Bandra-Kurla Complex. "While the government at least tries to tackle malnutrition in tribal belts, it often forgets that urban malnutrition claims as many, if not more, lives and needs to be addressed urgently," said Neeraj Hatekar, economics professor, University of Mumbai, whose research on malnutrition in the city's slums is one of the few such studies. According to the state government's data, 3.5% of Greater Mumbai's slum children under six die every year because of poor nutrition and increased risk of infections - a figure largely accepted by academics and social workers. The city has about 7.3 lakh slum children below the age of four, according to the government National Family Health Survey, so at least 25,550 -- 3.5% of 7.3 lakh -- children die of malnutrition and related illnesses every year. (There are deaths among children between 4 and 6, but those under 4 constitute the bulk.

13. Malware In The System: Stress and obesity are triggering early hormonal imbalances in pre-teen women. Early puberty is on the rise, with girls as young as eight starting their periods, making them vulnerable to diseases of the reproductive system at an earlier age. 30% of women in Indian are affected by the endocrinal disorder Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). In normal populations, it affects 5 to 10 per cent of women. X 2 Insulin resistance is affecting twice as many women as men, putting them at higher risk for gestational and Type 2 diabetes as well as cardiovascular diseases. X 4 Hypothyroidism has increased manifold in the Indian population. Some reports suggest a four-fold increase. The disease is eight times more common in women than men.>85% of Indians suffer from Vitamin D3 deficiency, more so women. Excess starch and high-fat diets (along with sedentary lifestyle) linked to rising obesity levels in women and missing micronutrients to impaired endocrine function; vegetarian diets to Vitamin D deficiency; stress, Environment: Bisphenol A found in canned food, pesticides like DDT, chemicals in meat products and atmospheric pollution affect hormonal balance and Genetic factors: Indians are also genetically predisposed to some of the major hormonal disorders affecting women. In a healthy woman’s body, the release of hormones, the chemical messengers of the body, is a harmonious dance. For women, working long hours and yet striving to fulfil a range of expectations and roles, stress is an invisible 24x7 companion. Ruling the roost of endocrinal disorders are diabetes, PCOs, hypothyroidism and low levels of Vitamin D3 (now classified as a hormone). Women have descended into this hormonal hell within one generation. What’s more, keeping company in the doctor’s waiting rooms is the next generation—girls as young as 12. Obesity has also been linked to a condition called oestrogen dominance in women, since adipose (fat) tissue produces oestrogen. The condition has been linked to disorders like PCOs and early puberty. “Earlier, precocious puberty was when a girl started menstruating before she was 12. Now, the term is used to describe girls who start before age eight. Hormonal disorders also reflect an urban environment that is gradually turning toxic. Unhealthy diets also lack micronutrients, crucial for proper endocrine function. Vitamin D3 deficiency, linked to bone health, could also be leading to a spike in hypothyroidism cases and insulin resistance. But even by itself, the deficiency is costly enough for Indian women, who have to deal with the Vitamin D paradox. It is produced naturally by the body when exposed to sunlight, but since Indians are predisposed to have more melanin (which acts like a sunscreen), we produce less Vitamin D3 despite living in a sunny country. Environmental pollution also blocks UV rays, adversely affecting Vitamin D production in the body. Women have it worse because they are still expected to be modestly dressed when they leave the house, shielding them even further from sun exposure. (Smita Mitra, Outlook, 13 December 2010, p. 56-58)

14. 1 in 10 People In Tamil Nadu is Diabetic: One out of 10 people in Tamil Nadu is diabetic, and every two persons in a group of 25 are in the pre-diabetic stage. These statistics from phase 1 of the Indian Council of Medical Research's INDIAB (India-diabetes) nationwide study. Nearly, 80% of people have abnormal lipid profile, which means high amount of fat and bad cholesterol, coupled with low levels of good cholesterol. About 28% are hypertensive and 20% have high cholesterol. The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation launched the study, the largest in the country and supported by ICMR, to determine the prevalence of type-2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in India, compare the urban-rural divide, estimate the risk for heart diseases and the effects of treatment. The study, in three phases, will cover people above the age of 20 in urban and rural areas of 28 states and two union territories, besides New Delhi. Phase 1 of the study covered 4,000 people each in Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Low awareness and lack of preventive steps remain major concerns. In urban areas, for every two persons who knew their diabetic condition, there was one person who was not aware of it. In the rural areas, the ratio was one is to one. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/1-in-10-people-in-Tamil-Nadu-is-diabetic/articleshow/7096511.cms accessed on 14 December 2010)

16. Chennai beats Mumbai to become second most competitive city: An educated workforce and good logistics infrastructure are two of the factors that have propelled Chennai up the City Competitiveness Rankings, from no. 4 last year to no. 2 this year. The report, released by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC), New Delhi, says Chennai has overtaken Bangalore in the rankings and edged out Mumbai for the second spot. Delhi continues to hold its rank as the most competitive city to do business in the country. The report bases its rankings on infrastructure, business environment and about 800 other indicators, taken from data released by various government departments. Fifty Indian cities were included in the report. As per the report, Delhi is no.1, Chennai holds the second spot, Mumbai is in slot three and Bengaluru and Kolkata are in places four and five, respectively. The rise of tier-two cities such as Ahmedabad and Pune indicate an improvement in governance, municipal efficiency, physical infrastructure and workforce. Mumbai, the report says, has slipped in its ranking due to the worsening state of its infrastructure. Other cities on the list are Chandigarh, Surat, Gurgaon, Coimbatore and Kochi. The report cites the large number of educational institutions and the strong culture of education in Chennai as working to its advantage. It also draws attention to people's strong communication skills as well as their innovativeness. While the report says the city is a good place to do business, especially for manufacturing and IT companies, due to the good physical infrastructure and logistics such as the presence of a port and airport, it also adds that Chennai has to improve its performance on the administrative side. It currently takes 34 days to start a new business in Chennai as opposed to the average of 30 days in the rest of the country. Except for problems with electricity, most policies of the state government are industry-friendly and this has contributed to the city's competitive edge. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Chennai-beats-Mumbai-to-become-second-most-competitive-city-/articleshow/7114387.cms accessed on 17 December 2010,)

17. Rise in students using net on mobile phones in Chennai: Two out of every five high school students in the city surfs the internet from a mobile phone, and the sites the access most are social networking and entertainment portals, according to a new study compiled by Techzone (a Value Added Service (VAS) company. There are more than one crore mobile phone users in Chennai and nearly four lakh of them surf the net from their phones, of these, 80,000 are high school students. There are nearly two lakh high school students in the city. Nearly 20% of high school students use the net from their cell phones. School students access social networking sites, download songs and other entertainment content from various websites. Students also visit reference sites. They also show off with jazzy ringtones and mobile themes. High school children prefer surfing on cellphones as they can do so without their parents' knowledge. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indiaarticlelist/-2128936835.cms accessed on 20 December 2010.)

18. Delhi earns dubious tag of ‘murder capital’: Delhi earned the tag of being “murder capital” in 2010, 554 incidents of murder took place — the highest in six years. More than 90 people became victims of “crimes of passion alone. Figures available with the Delhi police reveal that 94 people, a majority of them women, were killed in “passion-related crimes”, as against 60 last year. Women still unsafe as there was an increase in incidents of rape and molestation as compared to last year. Street crime rises: Incidents like snatchings and robbery — clear signs of lawlessness — also saw an increase of 119 more incidents of snatchings. There was an increase in incidents of robbery, too. The most significant increase was in incidents of motor vehicle theft. Against 11,892 cases of vehicle thefts last year, 14,150 were reported this year. Thefts of SUVs and high-end cars also saw an increase. (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Delhi-earns-dubious-tag-of-murder-capital/H1-Article1-640455.aspx accessed on 20 December 2010.)

19. Mizo church body blames cellphones for pre-marital sex: India may have become the world's fastest growing mobile phone market, but a church body in Mizoram has blamed the use of cellphones for rising pre-marital sex among youngsters in the Christian-dominated northeastern state. The Synod Social Front of the Mizoram Presbyterian Church recently carried out a survey among the residents, mostly youngsters, of Aizawl and other district headquarters and observed that invasion of the media, especially cellphones, in everyday life has "undermined the social values of the Mizos and increased pre-marital sex among the youth". (The Times of India 21 December 2010, p.12,)

20. 1,000 students crammed into 52 rooms: MC Raja Adi Dravidar Hostel at Todhunter Nagar in Saidapet, which has ground plus two floors, has 52 rooms to accommodate 400 students but over a thousand are crammed in them. They said though the government had allocated funds for food the quality of the fare and the quantity served was so bad that some thought the Puzhal jail served better food. The toilets were stinking and so were the rooms that contained only the bare necessities. "There is no entertainment for us excepting our mobile phones on which we listen to music. The state government has given away thousands of TV sets to many people. Can it not give us a couple of them?'' wondered another. The students, all from poor backgrounds and hailing from all parts of the state, said "our parents are farm workers and involved in other menial jobs. It was their dream that we become graduates and do well in life. But when you are treated like this you don't become a graduate. You will end up as a criminal."

21. Highest number of urban homeless in TN: Tamil Nadu has the highest number of urban homeless, almost 7.3% of the total homeless population in the country and Chennai houses a three fourths of these, according to the 2001 census. A recent study on the living conditions of the homeless in Chennai was conducted by the Indian Community Welfare Organisation (ICWO) and supported by the ministry of external affairs in select pockets of the city like Parrys, Royapuram and Wall Tax Road among others. According to the study which was conducted in 2003, there were over 40,000 homeless in the city and this did not include the migrants. The numbers would have gone up by now. There was shortage of 24.7 million homes in the country and it was the extremely poor who did not have a house. The report prepared by Action Aid identified 2,545 families and 9,156 individuals practising 196 different forms of informal occupation who were living without a roof over their heads. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Highest-number-of-urban-homeless-in-TN/articleshow/7147803.cms accessed on 23 December 2010)

II Diaspora

1. Mombasa Calling: It’s a brave new world beckoning the Malayali migrant out there in Africa. High-population-density Kerala has always been in the forefront in migration for jobs, but the hunt for new business pastures picked up in recent years with the land crunch and skyrocketing prices at home. Hence the Malayali entrepreneur’s focus on the resource-rich but relatively undeveloped countries of Africa. West Asia, with nearly 3 million non-resident Keralites, will it seems serve as the springboard for the next big Malayali leap. Indian corporates are already exploiting the land advantage in African countries but the small entrepreneurs from Kerala—who’ve forayed into countries like Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania—have quickly realised the need for forming entrepreneur groups to mobilise investments. One such group, based in Doha, has set up the upscale 53-room Horizon Hotel in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, with an initial investment of US $1 million (Rs 5 crore). EMKE group, a retail chain which runs supermarkets in the Gulf and Egypt now runs the flagship network of Lulu supermarkets in West Asia and a few African countries. Mammen Chacko, who has leased 20 hectares of land in the capital’s suburbs and is cultivating roses. “The Indian embassy here helped him with the logistics and he’s got back his investment in three years. By all accounts, the Africa gold rush has begun. (John Mary, Outlook 20 December 2010, p.16.)

2. India tops with 56,000 migrant doctors in OECD countries: India is the top country of origin of migrant doctors in Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OECD) countries with over 56,000 Indian doctors in these countries, which include the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. India also figures at sixth place in the expatriation of nurses to OECD countries (about 23,000). In terms of percentages, however, these figures constitute just 8% and 3% respectively of the doctor and nurse population in India, comfortingly low compared to some of the smaller countries severely affected by emigration of doctors such as Mozambique (75%) and Angola (70%). These numbers, revealed by the recently released World Migration Report 2010, however, do not include the large number of Indian doctors and nurses working in the Gulf. It is estimated that at any given time there are over one lakh Indian nurses in the GCC (Gulf Coordination Council) countries. The poor working conditions in India coupled with low salary and the lack of respect at the work place are the top reasons for nurses migrating abroad. The World Migration Report talks about the problem of "medical brain drain", especially in African countries. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of physicians per 100,000 population for India is 70, which is at par with low-income countries, and for the public sector, the figure is a paltry 20. In the European Union, the figure is 310 physicians per 100,000 population and in the US 240 physicians per 100,000. Similarly, the number of nurses per 100,000 population in India is 80, while it is 330 for the world and 160 for low-income countries. The WHO threshold for a 'health workforce crisis' is 230 health workers per 100,000 population. For example, India, an origin country, with only 190 health workers per 100,000 persons, is in a crisis state. As destination countries, the United Kingdom and the United States have ratios of 750 and 1,250 health workers per 100,000 persons respectively, which are far above the benchmark. However, there is still a demand for doctors and nurses in these countries. In OECD countries, there is an increasing demand for health workers because of rising incomes, new technology, and an aging population. In terms of nurses, the Philippines is the main country of origin for nurses, with over 110,000 Filipino nurses working in OECD countries, followed by the United Kingdom (just under 46,000), Germany (under 32,000). According to the OECD data of 2007, the top five countries in terms of emigration rates of nurses are all from the Caribbean — Haiti leads with an expatriation rate of 94%, followed by Jamaica (87.7%), Grenada (87.6%), St Vincent and the Grenadines (81.6%) and Guyana (81.1%). (Rema Nagarajan, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-tops-with-56000-migrant-doctors-in-OECD-countries/articleshow/7154050.cms accessed on 24 December 2010)

III Global

Facebook causes one in five divorces: Survey: 'Facebook' or 'Twitter' may have helped unite many people across the globe, but a survey revealed that one in five divorces in the US now involve the popular social networking sites. According to the survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a staggering 80 per cent of divorce lawyers have also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating. Flirty messages and photographs found on Facebook are increasingly being cited as proof of unreasonable behavior or irreconcilable differences. Many cases revolve around social media users who get back in touch with old flames they hadn't heard from in many years, the 'Daily Mail' reported. Facebook was by far the biggest offender, with 66 per cent of lawyers citing it as the primary source of evidence in a divorce case. My Space followed with 15 per cent, Twitter at 5 per cent and other choices lumped together at 14 per cent, the survey found. The survey reflects the findings of a UK law firm last year showing that 20 per cent of its divorce petitions blamed Facebook flings. "The most common reason seemed to be people having inappropriate sexual chats with people they were not supposed to," Mark Keenan, the Managing Director of Divorce-Online said. (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/facebook-causes-one-in-five-divorces-survey/136246-19-93.html?from=tn accessed on 1 December 2010)

Followers

Support Us

To support this blogsite contributions from wellwishers are invited. You may contribute your donations in the name of “KALIMPONG PRESS CLUB”
in its account no.429310110002945 of Bank of India, Kalimpong Branch (IFSC code: BKID0004293) or no.594010200001311 of Axis Bank Ltd, Kalimpong Branch (IFSC code: UTIB0000594)